BETRAYED
by mollietaz
Summary: The cons feel that Garrison has let them down...and it could cost him his life.


BETRAYED

It was a cold and miserable night and Angel wondered why she was still crazy enough too come all the way to the mansion just to light fires and warm the place up just on the off chance that they might get home tonight. This would be the third night in a row that she had come up here and been told that they had been held up by bad weather yet again , and couldn't get home. She smiled to herself as she imagined the grief Casino was giving Craig about being stuck in Germany just because the weather was bad. She just knew he would hold Craig personally responsible for them being late home, and by the time they got here Craig would probably be ready to throttle him.

She knew that this had not been one of their easiest missions, she had seen it on their faces when they left , and the fact that the weather was cold with probable snow fall had done nothing to lighten their spirits . Still they were all safe, that much she did know, so all they had to do now was get home, and she would continue to light a fire for them until they all arrived , because she knew that they needed to know that someone cared that they had got back at all.

When they returned early that morning she could tell that something was terribly wrong with all of them. They hardly spoke to each other and Craig went straight to his office without saying a word to her. She waited in the kitchen as usual and when they didn't appear she put the coffee and sandwiches on a tray and carried them to their room, knocked on the door and waited.

Actor opened the door and looked at the tray,

`I'm sorry Angel we should have come down and told you we weren't very hungry ,but I'm sure the coffee will be welcome`, he said.

He took the tray from her and she followed him into the room and started to pour the coffee for them .

`Everything all right ?she asked

`Why shouldn't it be ? Casino growled, nursing his injured shoulder

`Sorry `, she said `Not really any of my business , I just worry about all of you that's all`, she told him

`Well you're the only one baby that's for sure ,no-one else gives a damn`.

`Casino that's enough ,` snapped Actor, `None of what happened has anything to do with Angel`.

`Yeah leave her out of it Casino `, said Chief `Got nothing; to do with her.`

Angel looked at them,. Would one of you please explain what is going on ? What the hell happened over there? She asked

She poured Goniff a mug of coffee and went to hand it to him,

`Don't want any bloody coffee`, snapped Goniff and knocked the mug out of her hand, `don't want coffee , don't want to be here ,and don't want to talk about it with someone who will side with him anyway, so just get the hell out of here and leave me alone`. and with that he stomped over to his bed and laid down with his back to her.

Angel looked stunned. She looked at Goniff and then at the others `Did I do something wrong? she asked them , `If I did I would like to know`.

Actor stepped forwards `You haven't done anything Angel and I'm sorry for both the outbursts we appreciate the coffee ,but just now we need to have some time to ourselves we have certain things we need to work out, we just need some time ,that's all ,ok?

`If that's what you want then fine, but please remember I'm here if you need me `.

Actor took her hand and kissed it, `That is something we all know and are forever grateful for , thank you .`

He took her to the door and opened it for her ,led her through it ,and then closed it behind her ,

`Please don't take this to heart Angel, we just need to sort some things out , and then everything will be back to normal, I promise, and thank you again for the coffee,` he said

With that he went back inside and closed the door behind him.

Angel looked at the closed door , they had never kept anything from her before so this must be really bad.

There was of course one person who would know exactly what was going on, so without another glance she turned her back on them and went to find Craig, to see if she could find out what had gone so terribly wrong between them. and why they thought they had so obviously been betrayed.

She knocked on his office door and turned the knob , nothing happened. She had never known him lock the door. She knocked again ,`Craig ,its Angel , can I come in please?

There was silence

`Craig please , let me in, I need to talk to you, please open the door.`

She heard footsteps and then the key turned, but he never spoke just walked back to the desk.

She went inside and closed the door behind her .

He was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands and she could not remember the last time she had seen him looking this lost.

`What happened Craig? she asked

He said nothing, just kept looking at he desk

She walked behind him and putting her arms around him rested her head on his shoulder, `Come back to the cottage with me ,get away from this place , please, come home with me now, leave them to the Sgt. Major , come back tomorrow.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair `I think I'd like that, Angel, look, you take the jeep ,would you? and I'll see you in a little while , I need to take a run ,all right?

`Craig it's two thirty in the morning , at least wait until it's light`,

`Need to go now , need to clear my head ,I'll be fine ,ok?

She nodded, knowing that this was something that he needed to do.

`Put what you need in the overnight bag and I'll take it with me , and I'll see you later ok?`

He sighed `Thanks Angel , `

`What for ? I haven't done anything`.

He kissed the hand that was wrapped around his neck, `For always being there when I need you ,` he said `For being the one person that I can trust completely ,it means a lot me .`

`You want to talk ?she asked him

`Maybe later if that's ok, right now I need to get out of here ,I'll meet you at the cottage in a couple of hours or so, all right ?

`Whatever you want honey , I'll see you there , just give me what you 'll need to change into and I'll get going`,

He put a spare uniform into a bag and handed it to her . `Thanks Angel,` he said again

She took the bag and reached up and kissed his cheek, `We'll sort it out,` she said `Whatever it is we'll sort it out, trust me`.

`With my life Angel `, he said, With my life`.

Angel drove home steadily, the roads were covered in ice and the snow had started to fall, it was really a dreadful night to be out anywhere let alone running, but Craig never seemed to mind the cold it was just the snow he hated. She arrived home just as the snow worsened and hurried into the house and put some cocoa on to heat while she lit the fire, knowing he would be freezing when he finally reached home. She stretched on the sofa and picked up the book she had been reading , determined to stay awake in case he wanted to talk to her, in case he needed her.

The sound of the book hitting the floor woke her with a start and she realized it was daylight. Checking her watch she found it was seven thirty ,he should be here by now. She checked the rooms to make sure that he hadn't come in and left her sleeping, but the cottage was empty. She put on her coat and scarf and walked quickly to the jeep, a feeling of dread creeping inside her. She just hoped that he had decided to stay at the mansion, but in her heart she knew that he hadn't. When she got to there she headed straight for his office and a cold chill ran through her when she found it empty . She went straight upstairs and knocked on their door waiting eagerly for it to open.

Casino opened it , still half asleep

`Have you any idea what time it is, ? Whatever it is , can't it wait until later? I've only been asleep for five hours for goodness sake., even the birds aren't up yet and my shoulder's hurting like hell.`

`I know Casino and I'm sorry I wouldn't wake you unless it was really important, but I need to know if any of you have seen Craig.?`

`Why would we want to see him? He's better out of our way`. Don't care if I never see him again.` said Goniff

`There you go then , we've not seen him , so can we please go back to bed? Casino asked as he turned , flopped on his bed and pulled the blanket up round his neck again.

Actor stood up,

`Why are you so concerned about him Angel? he asked her.

`She looked at him, He was hurting last night , and like you he wouldn't tell me why. I convinced him to come back to the cottage with me but he said he needed to clear his head, that he'd take a run and meet me there , he never showed up, and his office is empty , and no one has seen him since he arrived back this morning., I'm worried that some things happened to him

`Well what if it has ,serves him right for what he did, got what's coming to him , said Goniff. `Angel looked at him

`How can you even think things like that Goniff? He could be lying injured somewhere and you don't seem to care `,I don't understand`. She said` I need your help to find him , please guys.

`I ain't never going to help that man with anything ever again and if he's dead then so what ,I don't care `Goniff said angrily

Angel looked at them stunned by the hatred that filled the room,

`Would some one please tell me what the hell is happening here, what changed over there to cause all this anger towards him, what the hell did he do that was so bad? she asked

`Why don't you find him and ask him yourself ?said Casino , ask him why he put a bullet in my shoulder while your at it. `And when you do find him, tell him from all of us that we'd rather go back inside than work with him again`.

She turned towards the others,` Chief? You feel the same way they do?

Chief looked at the floor,` He let us down, let a whole lot of people down, can't work with someone if you don't trust them anymore.`

She looked pleadingly at Actor `,And you? You feel the same?

`Let's just say there are some things he needs to explain to us before this unit goes out again`, he said

Why did he shoot Casino? I mean it must have been an accident`,

`Well you'd be wrong there baby , he looked me straight in the eye and pulled the trigger, he meant it all right,

Angel was stunned, `What did you do?

Casino had turned his back on her ,

Will someone please tell me something?

Actor just looked at her

Did you ask him to explain his actions? She cried `I mean for Gods sake, you know him well enough now to know that he would not intentionally do anything to hurt any one of you, there must have been a damn good reason why he shot you`, Casino just pulled the blanket further up and ignored her

`Please ?, Actor explain to me what he did that has made you all so angry with him .

No one answered .

`Ok so no one 's going to tell me what's going on and right now I don't really care. I am asking you , please to help me find him, he could be in trouble, please?

They all stood silently looking anywhere but at her. She waited one moment longer , not really accepting that they did not care whether he was dead or alive. She turned towards the door expecting at any moment that one of them would change their minds , but as she reached for the door knob she knew that she would have to do this alone, they were not going to help her.

The Sgt. Major had checked with the guard at the gate who

remembered Craig leaving about two thirty. He signed him out but couldn't tell them which direction he had taken. As there were two ways he could have taken to get to the cottage the Sgt Major split them into two groups telling them to check both sides of the road and all the ditches along it for any sign of Craig. Angel started to take the shortest way home , which would take her almost two hours steady walking in the snow that was now steadily falling. All she could see was Craig lying in a ditch somewhere being covered in snow and slowly freezing and her not being able to find him .She shook the thought from her head as someone called her name.

She looked round to see Peter Roberts hurrying towards her.

`Hi Angel could you use some help,? been down in the village with a patient, called to see you on the way back and then called the mansion when I couldn't find you , they told me what was going on , thought I might be of some use when we find him. Peter said.

She looked at him , `Thanks Peter , appreciate it , chances are he's going to be in a bad way when we find him , he'll need all the help he can get he's been missing for nearly six hours already..

`Right then `,he said `Let's get started shall we,? You take that side I'll take this and we'll see if we can find him.

It took almost them two hours , and even then with the heavy snow fall they almost missed him . He was face down in a ditch, he had caught his arm on a branch as he fell and that had just held his head above the water, otherwise he would have drowned, he had a gash on his head where he had hit a rock as he fell , but at least hadn't broken any bones `

`We're nearer the cottage than the mansion ,let's get him there Angel as fast as we can , we have to get him warmed up if he has any chance of surviving. ` They managed to drag him to the jeep that had been following them and wrap him in blankets and then struggled to get some warmth back into his frozen body.

They got to the cottage in record time and Peter put him straight into a warm bath while Angel found as many hot water bottles as she could to get the bed warm for him. Then , putting him to bed they sat and waited .

`How bad is this really ? She asked him

Peter looked at Craig, `I've seen worse cases that have survived , all we can do is keep him warm and hope for the best ,He's a fighter Angel, let's just hope that he can fight this shall we?

`I don't know if he wants to fight ,` she said quietly

Peter walked over to her and took her hand,

`What happened ?he asked her

`I don't know, Craig was going to tell me when he arrived here , and the guys just won't talk about it, I do know that it's bad enough that they would rather go back inside than go out with him again, and that for some reason he shot Casino. It must have been horrible what ever it was, they'll usually tell me about most things that bother them , but this time even Chief won't talk to me.` I asked them to help me find him Peter ,and they wouldn't, they said they would rather let him die than help him, and now it looks like they might just get there wish. But if I lose him , so help me Peter I will never forgive them , never , as long as I live

She burst into tears and he held her ,

`Well , let's do all we can to prevent that then ,shall we? And we'll make a start by finding some more blankets and building that fire up, ok?

`Ok `, she said ,` whatever you say , but Peter , keep him alive for me , He's all I have left ,and I couldn't bear to lose him too.`

`I'll do what I can Angel , you know that , but he has to do his part to, he has to fight ,otherwise nothing I do will make any difference, let's just hope that he loves you enough to want to come back shall we? he said.

She nodded, and hoped that Craig truly knew how very much she loved him,

There was a knock at the door and before either of them could get up to answer it Actor walked in .

`I don't remember telling you to come in.` she said coldly

Actor looked at her `,The Sgt Major told us that you had found him , but couldn't tell us how badly he was injured , and to be honest we were pretty sure you would put the phone down when you knew it was us, so we thought it best to come here to see what we could do to help.`

`You had your chance to help him , she said angrily,` and you all made it quite clear just where you stood , well now I don't need your help so I would be obliged if you would just leave , your not welcome in this house anymore, just get out , and don't come back.

`We're not leaving 'til we know how he is.` said Chief

`What? she cried ` All of a sudden you care now ,is that it? , Because you sure as hell didn't care when I asked for your help now did you? Well guess what you might just get what you wanted , because being out in that freezing snow has almost killed him. He might have stood a better chance if we had found him sooner , but hey , never mind you might get lucky and he might just die on you yet.`

She turned her back on them ,`Now get out of my house.

`Angel please? Actor said quietly , at least let us help you now .`

`We made a huge mistake , there were things that we didn't know until Major Freeman arrived at the mansion , there were things the Warden didn't tell us that would have made all the difference to the way we acted , Please Angel let us explain , let us help.`

She lowered her head.

`It's too late ,` she said sadly `Too late

`I came and asked for your help to find the one person that means more to me than anything or anyone else in the world, `

I came to you because you were the ones that I thought I could rely on to help me , because you were the best friends I've had in a long time and I never thought for one minute that you would ever let me down. Well I learnt how wrong I could be today, and it has almost cost me my brothers life , but you can be sure of one thing , I will not make the same mistake again and so help me I will never trust you or ask for any thing from any of you ever again. She stifled a sob , and if he dies I will never forgive you as long as I live , Now just go away and leave me alone,` With that she turned and walked back into the bedroom.

`Well we really screwed that up now didn't we ?asked Casino

Chief looked at him `we're not just going to leave are we ?

`We don't have a choice`, Actor said ,` She has made it quite clear that we are not wanted and if we try to stay we will only make matters worse, `All we can hope for is that the Warden survives and that we will be able to apologise to both of them.

`She won't ever forgive me `, said Goniff `Not for what I said

`Well that makes two of us baby `, said Casino

Actor looked at them both, `All we can do is hope , but for now it might be best to just stay out of her way ,and just see if we can get Peter on his own and talk to him , tell him we will be outside if he needs us .there really is nothing else we can do .`

They walked outside and made themselves at home in the garden shed , determined to be there for her if the worst should happed , even if it was only to give her some one to hate . They would take care of her whether she liked it or not.

We should have made some coffee before we came out her , we're going to freeze to death if we st….`. Casino stopped , realizing what he had just said ,

He sat down on the rickety garden chair and looked at them all , saw in their faces exactly what he was feeling, each of them knowing that if the Warden died it would be partly their fault .

Craig could hear voices, couldn't make out what they were saying but knew that there was someone else in the room, he didn't know what room yet , but he knew he was safe. He opened his eyes and saw her standing over him,

`Angel , where am I? he asked

`You're at the cottage , you fell yesterday morning when you went running , it took us until late morning to find you by which time you were half frozen, but at least you look as if you're on the mend now. How do you feel? she asked him

`My head hurts and I feel a little tired but other than that not too bad`.

He said, smiling at her .`Sorry if I scared you , never meant too.`

She smiled back at him `Well I didn't think you took a header into a ditch on purpose , not even you are that crazy, but you are very lucky , if you hadn't go caught up on that branch things could have been very different , so do me a favour and next time stick the road will you?

`I promise I'll try ok? He said ,`Is it ok for me to go back to sleep for a little while now? I seem to be having trouble keeping my eyes open? he asked her.

`Doc says the more sleep the better so you go right ahead and I'll get him to check in on you later `, She kissed his forehead ,`Goodnight honey , sleep well, she said , but by this time she was talking to herself.

He slept through the night and well into the next morning ,but when he did wake up it was with one of the worst colds he had ever had .

`Here , I brought you some coffee and some asprins take both and stay in bed,` she told him

`Don't think I could find the strength to argue with you right now , ` he said `I feel terrible,`

`Wow , things must be bad if you actually admit to not being well,` she smiled , `just stay where you are , you've got a weeks sick leave so just relax and get better ok?

For once he didn't argue.

Peter had come back to check on Craig and was not at all happy with the way things were going. `I was hoping that we were going to avoid this ,`he said` He's weak enough without a dose of flu as well, and you're not exactly one hundred percent ,now are you? he asked

`Just a bit of a cold , that's all, I'll be fine,` she told him

`Well lady I'll be the judge of that ,I'm putting Craig in hospital so you can take care of yourself, otherwise you're going to end up in the same state as he is`, he said.

`Peter no, he'll hate that I can manage , really I can , please let him stay here,`

`I'll make a deal with you ,he can stay here if you get some help in to look after the both of you , and it will be help of my choosing not yours , so you can't send them away the minute my back's turned, take it or leave it that's the only offer you're going to get! he told her sternly.

`Doesn't look like I have any choice then does it, he needs to stay here, so send me whatever nurse you've got and I promise to be a good little girl and not annoy her too much,` she said sarcastically

`Good , then I'll be back in a minute , and if you want to do something useful you can make some coffee, he said smiling

`Yes master `, she said `Anything you say master`.

`Now that's more like it , treated with respect I deserve , now

woman make the coffee, `

`Some people just don't know how to treat a lady , they really don't`, she mumbled

`You find me a lady and I'll show you exactly how to treat her ,` he said smiling

`She started to giggle and only stopped when it turned into a cough which racked at her chest more than she would like to admit, but at least by this time he had left and didn't hear her.

He went to the garden and opened the shed door, opened it and as he entered heard the snick of a knife. `Don't think you're going to need that Chief, do you?

Chief look embarrassed, `Sorry Doc force of habit, being stuck in a shed and all , gets to me a little`. He said `How's the Warden?

`Not doing to well at the moment and neither is Angel , though she's doing a very good job of trying to hide it. `One already has a good dose of flu and the other is just starting so by my reckoning , tomorrow they are both going to need help, and I wondered if you gentlemen were up for the job?

`You may not have noticed Doc but we've been thrown out and told not to come back , what makes you think things have changed enough for her to let us back in the house, `asked Casino

`I've told her that I'll put Craig in hospital if she doesn't accept the help I send her , I can get you into the house but after that you are on you're own, and trust me she will not make it easy for any of you , she was hurt very badly when you let her down , it took a lot for her to accept that she cared for you, and you all saw what she was like when you thought she had lost Craig , how near the edge she came, you helped her then and she loved and trusted you because of that , to tell her that you would rather see him dead than help her find him was one of the cruellest things you could have ever done ,and it's going to take her a long time to forgive you, and accept that she still cares for you. And she does still care even if she doesn't realize that yet , though why she should is beyond my understanding . So do you want to give this a go or shall I find someone else? He asked

They all looked at each other and nodded each knowing that this was the last chance they were going to get to ask for her forgiveness,

`Just you try and stop us Doc, we'll help her whether she likes it or not,` Casino said.

`Oh gentlemen there's no doubt in my mind at all that she's not going to like it , and she's going to make your lives hell , don't doubt that for a moment. And even when you're done there is still a chance that she won't forgive you . All I am giving you is a chance to try , there are no guarantees with this at all,` Peter told them.

`We'll take whatever we can get Doc , because some way we have to make things right again. She means a great deal to all of us and we messed up big time, and we need to make it up to her and we'll do that Doc if it takes the rest of our lives `,Actor said and looked at the others ,`

`Right ?`. He asked

They all nodded .

`Right `, they replied

`All right then gentlemen , into the lions den you go , and good luck , because you're going to need it`.

She was in the kitchen when they walked in ,

`What the hell are you doing here? I thought I told you to go and not come back`.

Peter stepped forward , `This is the help promised you ,` he said

`Oh no it's not , I don't want any help from them ever again,` she said

`Ok , then I'll just use you're phone to call for an ambulance for Craig and then they can leave,` and he started to walk out of the room

`This is blackmail, and you know it,` she cried

`Absolutely Angel , I fully admit to that, but this way I know that someone will be here all the time ,because they will not leave even if you tell them too ,because I have told them to stay., Agree Angel or I will have Craig in hospital quicker than you can blink, you do understand that don't you? He asked her `Craig needs help and I think that by tomorrow so will you , now accept the help they've offered and don't be so stubborn, you are ill and you can't do this alone , admit it Angel you need there help.`

Angel looked at him , and then nodded ,

`All right they can stay , but only to help Craig , I don't want or need their help, I'll manage on my own , all right?`.

`All right Angel that will have to do for now,` Peter said but if you do need their help just ask , ok?

She just looked at them and said `I won't , now if you don't mind I need to check on Craig`,

`Well gentleman , I have to go , so you are on your own , and I wish you all the luck in the world ,` he said smiling ,`And you're going to need every bit of it..

Peter was right , by the morning Craig was delirious and Angel couldn't stop the cough that racked through her chest and her temperature was increasing every hour but she would accept help from none of them . She allowed them to help Craig ,but even then she was the one who sat with him, and bathed his forehead , and tried to keep him cool, There was no chance of any help from Peter now as the roads were blocked with the heavy snowfall they'd had during the night , so they were effectively on their own.

Craig did not know where he was , and drifted in and out of sleep sometimes thinking he was still in Germany and other times knowing that he was with Angel in the cottage. She was sitting on the edge of his bed when he opened his eyes and stared at her

`Angel ?he asked `Angel, ? He put out his hand and stroked her face

`Hi honey , it's all right , I'm here and you're safe, go back to sleep`, she told him,

`No, had a dream, going to die this time , know it , have to tell you something`, he said.

`Honey your going to be fine, it's just a bad case of flu you'll be fine once the fever goes down, you're not going to die I promise you, you'll be just fine in a couple of days ,` she said

He shook his head ,`No have to tell you, have to let you know , I love you Angel , have always loved you ,needed to tell you,` he said.

`Oh Craig , I know that , and I love you to, more than anything,` she said,

He shook his head `No you don't understand, I never envied David anything until I met you, I loved you from the first time I saw you, wanted to share my life with you, wished it was me and not him that you loved, I love you so much Angel I do. ` Without warning he pulled her head towards him and kissed her, not letting her go when she tried to pull away .

She felt a hand on her neck and someone released his fingers and pushed him gently down onto the bed ,holding his hand down until she took it in her own.

Craig looked at her and saw the shock on her face , and saw Actor walk away from behind her, `I'm sorry , so sorry shouldn't have told you, never meant for you to know , won't matter , going to die anyway , forgive me , please , don't hate me , I can't help it, just needed to tell you I'm in love with you , `his words started to slur as tiredness overtook him and his eyes closed .`I love you so very much Angel,` he whispered , `Will love you for the rest of my life`. and then finally he drifted into unconsciousness.

Actor saw the tears in her eyes and walked to her side, he steadied her as she stood up from the bed. `You should rest`, he said, `You are near to exhaustion, please, let me help you .`

This time she did not argue just allowed him to guide her to the bed and give her the medicine that Peter had left for her.

`Please , she begged , don't tell anyone , it would destroy him if he realized what he had said, please, do this for me. If you have any feelings for me at all help me now, ` she begged

`Angel ,you should know by now that you can trust me , believe me, his secret is safe with me , what happened will stay between the two of us , as I doubt very much that he will think it was anything more than a dream if he remembers at all`. He said.

But what if he does remember, how do I deal with that?

I never knew Actor , never once thought he felt that way, I never gave him any encouragement, he was always just my brother. I love him so much , but not the way I loved David, never like that ,What's going to happen now? Oh Actor it's such a mess, what am I going to do? What if anyone else realises? maybe it was just me that didn't see what was happening. maybe everyone else knows,

He stopped her ,`Trust me , no-one knows, he kept it a closely guarded secret, and no one will ever know unless he tells them , because I never will, trust me Angel , I will not betray either one of you,`

She looked at him and he could see that she was afraid

`I have to trust you ,but this is more important than anything, you know that , if anyone should find out it would hurt him so much, and if you let me down this time I will never forgive you`, she said.

He nodded his understanding , pulled the blankets round her and held the hand that she had given him until she too fell asleep.

They both slept for the rest if the day and when Craig did wake up he found Actor sitting in the chair next to his bed.

`How long have I been out ? He asked

`Almost two days, you're fever spiked last night, and broke this morning, you should start to feel a lot better now , provided you listen to me and don't try to do to much too soon,` Actor told him.

`How's Angel? he asked , trying to sit up in the bed.

Actor pushed him gently but firmly back down, `Angel is fine but exhausted, she's sleeping now and I'd like her to continue to do so for as long as possible. Like you she is feeling better , she just has a cough that will not go away yet, but she will be fine, what you both need now is rest, and if I have to tie you both down you are going to get it , do you understand?

Craig gave him a weak smile ,`Yes Doctor, anything you say Doctor`, he said,

`Good at least we understand one another , now would you like a little soup ? Goniff has been getting it ready for the last few hours just in case you woke up hungry, he said,

`Actually that sounds good and I'd like the bathroom to if that's not to much trouble , could do with a freshen up, `

Actor smiled `You can have a shower if you wish ,provided one of us stays in the bathroom with you just in case you start to feel dizzy ' all right?

Craig looked at him , `That is the deal`, Actor said.

Craig didn't argue,

`Right then let's get you up and tell Goniff to start cooking and get you fed, shall we? he asked,

Craig stood up and grabbed onto Actors' arm as the dizziness hit him, `You all right?`

Craig nodded , `Right then let's take it nice and steady shall we?` and he grabbed Craig's waist and they headed for the door.

Angel woke up and looked over at Craig's bed and found it empty. She slowly sat up and found she was not as dizzy as she thought she would be. She walked slowly towards the door and thought how good something smelt, and realized she was hungry. Pulling her dressing gown round her she opened the door to find Craig sitting at the table eating soup.

`Well you certainly look better than the last time I saw you `she said, `Got your appetite back too by the looks of it, smells good,` any left Goniff or has he eaten it all ?,she asked

Goniff , stunned by the fact that she was talking to him stuttered

` Saved you some special , hoped you might be hungry ,I'll get it for you`,

Craig stopped eating ,`So you feeling better too then? he asked her.

`Much better thanks , just need to get rid of this cough and I'll be absolutely fine, What about you?

`A little tired still, but definitely on the mend, should be up and running in no time.

She smiled at him, `Isn't that what got us into trouble in the first place? she asked innocently ,

`He laughed , `Yeah bad choice of words there maybe.`

`Oh I'd say most definitely` ,she giggled .

Goniff arrived with the soup and the conversation ceased while they both ate ravenously.

When they had finished Actor asked `Would you like to sit out here for a while? It would probably be better for you than sitting alone in there`,

He nodded towards the bedroom,

`Yeah great idea, ` Craig said. He looked at the four of them, `Something bothering you ?he asked them

`If you feel up to it we would like to talk to you both, there are some things we need to put right` .Actor said

Craig looked at Angel, `You all right with that?

Angel just nodded

They all gathered round the fire waiting for someone to talk first,

`Ok Actor , why don't you start? Craig said.

Actor looked at them both ,`Well firstly we owe you both an apology , which we are all hoping you will accept, we should have trusted you , and we didn't . We behaved badly especially to you Angel and if you will let us we would like to try and explain why.

Angel looked first at Actor and then at the rest of them, `Ok `, she said `Go ahead , I'm listening , but I'm telling you now it had better be good , because I'll not forgive what you said and did easily.` she told them.

`We know that, and we don't expect you to , all we ask is that you listen ,and then hopefully, you might feel that you could give us another chance to make things right between us, do you think you could at least do that? asked Actor,

`I don't know `, she said `But I will stay and listen`.

Actor nodded his thanks , `Then that is all that we can ask `, he said.

`We were hiding on the outskirts of a village , no-one knew we were there , or so we thought and then a German patrol came in. It was obvious from the start that they were looking for us ,they searched the village thoroughly ,and sent scouts out but never got near enough to see us , we thought we were safe , that they would just turn and leave , but we were wrong. The Officer in charge went to the school house and dragged the children out with their teachers , stood them in a row in front of the school and told the villagers that if they did not tell them where we were he would shoot the children one by one. I don't think then that anyone believed him, but after five minutes he walked behind one of the teachers and shot him in the head. They tried to tell him that they didn't know where we were , but he just didn't believe them. Five minutes later he shot one of the children, and as her mother ran towards her , he shot her too ,Actor stopped, walked to the window drew breath and sighed , the memories still all to vivid.

`You all right mate ? Goniff asked quietly.

Actor composed himself, nodded and returned to his chair.

We were too far away to do anything but watch , but when the third child was killed Casino decided that we had to do something and was all for going down and at least killing some of the bastards before they killed any more kids. The warden tried to stop us , tried to tell us that it wouldn't make a difference and that it was just suicide to try , but we were to far gone in our anger to listen to him, and as Casino tried to leave he shot him, told us the next one of us that tried to leave would get the same, and we all knew he meant it. The Krauts put all the kids into the school again and we thought it was over and then the bastards started throwing grenades in there . All we could hear were the screams , and when they tried to escape he had them shot as they came through the door. He killed them all and we just stood there and did nothing, and we blamed the Warden for letting them all die, we were still convinced that we could have done something to stop the massacre.`,

That's why we were so angry when we got back, why we didn't care if you couldn't find him as far as we were concerned he got just what he deserved. We couldn't believe that the list we had was worth those children's lives or that he could be so heartless as to just stand and watch them die and not care , not try to stop the killing . We never asked for a reason, but we all knew that we would never trust him enough to work with him again, we would rather go back inside than have anything else to do with him. If he could watch them die then why would he care about us?

`What changed you minds?` she asked

`Major Freeman came to see us after you had left , told us how lucky we were that we hadn't been caught or been stupid enough to believe the Krauts, Apparently one of the resistance groups hadn't been so lucky. They had surrendered to save the children, and it was the worst thing they could have done. The Officer shot two of them in both feet and then had them dragged into the school, along with the teachers and children and then he did exactly the same thing that he did to us

He killed them all, grenades in the school again, he had no intention of keeping his word .Apparently the survivors faired no better , he didn't want information, he tortured them right there in the village and anyone that looked away was shot too. It was supposed to be a lesson, but I think the bastard just enjoyed inflicting pain. If we had stayed or tried to help we would most surely be dead now. The Warden was right , hard as it was to admit, there was nothing we could have done to change anything , just get ourselves killed too. By the time we realized that we had been wrong , the Warden was missing and we had hurt you so badly, and we didn't know how to put things right.`

Angel looked at them and then at Craig, who had said nothing, but had just sat looking at the floor.

Angel took his hand, and then looked at the four men sitting in front of her all looking at the floor and remembering the nightmare they had lived through.

`It takes an evil monster to kill children like that, someone who enjoys what he does, if you had tried to help he would have killed you all in the most painful ways he could think of and then everything you'd done would have been for nothing, he knew that ,knew that whatever happened it would be something that would haunt you for as long time. The man might be a bastard but he knew what he was doing, that's for sure.` she said.

None of them had moved , but she knew that this had affected them all more than they would ever care to admit.

So what happens now? she asked them. `What can we do now to put things right between us, between you guys more importantly. You can't go out on a mission with bad feelings for each other or you might just as well have let him shoot you ,this has to be sorted out now. she said.

So what do we do?

No-one spoke,

Angel looked at Craig.

`This report that the Major has, have you seen it?

Craig nodded. He showed it to me when he gave me the mission and the report from the resistance telling us not to surrender under any circumstances.` he said quietly

`Why didn't you tell them about it , especially when all the killing started? she asked

Guess I didn't think they'd believe me , God Angel I didn't want to believe it, and then after it all started it was too late. `he said

`Why did you shoot Casino?, she asked, I don't understand that at all.

Craig looked at Casino and gave a slight smile `Didn't have a choice, they're too good , on his own I could have taken him , but if the others decided they were going to join in there was no way I was going be able to stop them . Showing them that I was prepared to stop them under any circumstances was the only way I could think of keep them alive. I knew what would happen if they went down there and I couldn't let them go, and if that meant that they hated me then that was ok, at least that meant they were all still alive.`

`She looked at him, `You were wrong, ` she said

Four faces looked at her , they had been so sure that she would side with him and here she was telling him he was wrong.

`You should have trusted them to make the right decision, should have prepared them for what might have happened, told them what they were up against`, She smiled ,` You should have given them a reason for what you did. Then when Casino started to argued with you could have shot him anyway , makes a lot more sense that way now doesn't it.? she asked

Casino grinned and looked at her , `Oh give him ideas , why don't ya?

Craig smiled at them an then turned serious

`Angels' right , I should have told you , given you some warning of what we were heading into , I'm sorry, and I'll make sure that you know all the facts in future , even the not so pleasant ones, ok? He said

Angel looked at them ,

`You have to trust each other completely , your lives depend on it, there can never be any doubt that you can rely on each other one hundred percent , if there is then the Krauts win and one or more of you will end up dead , and I will not allow that to happen, I care about you all too much.` she said

`You don't hate us then for all the things we said? `asked Goniff nervously `We were just angry and we took it out on you , even though it weren't your fault, never meant to hurt you `, "onest" just needed someone to yell at, specially me , I hurt you most , said awful things wouldn't blame you if you did hate me, I deserve it.

She walked over to him and at the side of his chair, and held both his hands in hers, She looked into his face and then just hugged him.

He sighed and returned the hug, Smiling she said

`Seem to remember saying a few things I didn't mean too Goniff , so what say we call a truce and forget it ,that ok with you. ` she asked

`Oh yeah , that would be great, said Goniff with relief.

She turned back to the others,

`There is just one thing that has to be made quite clear ,if I ever find that you are keeping anything like this from me again he won't have to shoot you ,` she said nodding towards Craig,` because I will , and I can't shoot half as well as he can so there's no telling what I might hit`, she said smiling. `Do we understand each other gentlemen?

They all smiled at her.

`Yes ma'am `they said in unison

`Good , then is there anything else we have to deal with or are we all ok?`

`Ok ma'am`, said Casino

`You know ,she said looking at Craig ,`I can see why you would want to shoot him all the time , he does drive you crazy , doesn't he?

`Oh well thank you so much , said Casino `And there was me going to offer to chop some firewood for you loafers so you didn't freeze to death`, he said smiling

`Come on pappy , I'll show you which way to hold the axe , wouldn't want you to cut yourself ,now would we?`, said Chief

`Ha ha very funny , well you 'd better go first Indjun just in case I get lost and you'd have to come find me,`

`Well then follow me pappy , and keep close won't ya?

They walked out together with Casino still grumbling.

`What say we make some more coffee Goniff ? Asked Angel , `Those two will want warming up when they get back, and as Goniff picked up the tray she followed him into the kitchen ,just to make sure that he knew that they were ok now and all was forgiven.

Craig and Actor sat by the fire both of them smiling,

`I'ts nice to have things back to normal isn't it? Actor asked him

Craig looked serious and then said quietly.

`What are you going to do about what you heard? he asked And don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about .

Actor looked at him.

`There is nothing to do Craig , what happened is between you and her is nothing to do with me, I promised the lady I would not talk about what I saw, and nothing on earth would make me break that promise. But please be careful Craig ,think carefully before you do anything that you might regret. or that would break her heart, she thinks that you don't remember what happened , and maybe for the time being that would be the best thing for both of you. She knows how you feel now , let her decide what she wants to do about it, if anything, let her come to you if, and when she decides to , that is my advice , it's up to you if you take it or not, just be very careful , don't hurt her any more than she's been hurt already I don't know how much more pain she can take without breaking`.

`Thanks Actor and you're right ,if I had any sense at all I'd just leave things as they are , but the trouble is I really am in love with her , and I want to be with her so much. I want her to love me the same way I love her , the same way she loved David, but I don't know whether that is asking too much . The last thing I want to do is hurt her or drive her away, so I guess I'll just leave things as they are and try my hardest never to let her know that I remember . Just let her think that it was just the fever talking.` he said sadly.

`I think that is a very wise decision for the time being , who knows things may change between you, but it has to be her decision , not yours, she has to want you, and , not just because your David's brother, Don't ever make the mistake of thinking that you can replace him because you never could, and it wouldn't be fair to either of you to try ,you would only end up hating each other.

`She has to decide if and when she wants to give any new relationship a try . Don't rush her , she loved David very much , and although a year may seem a long time to you ,she is still in love with him, and may not need or want anyone else in her life yet.

She loves you as a brother , needs to know that she can rely on you to be there for her as just that, her brother , she doesn't need anything more complicated than that right now.

Just be there when she needs you , and let her do the rest.

`I'll try,` he said running his fingers through his hair, `But I will need your help , because this has to be the best most believable con I've ever pulled. `he said ,

`I will do everything I can to help you my friend you know that`, Actor said

`Thanks Actor, I think I'm going to need all the help I can get, just let me know if you think I'm getting in to deep , ok?

`There was a clatter of cups from the kitchen , `Sounds like they may need some help, Actor said

`Craig smiled sadly , they he thought weren't the only ones.


End file.
